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YEAR IN REVIEW PAGE ELEMENTS

Lifestyles

HOME HELP: Weekly home help with items on trendy paint colors for 2011, how to choose the right kind of paint, preventing doggie frostbite and more. By GHNS

AFTER CHRISTMAS: How to organize and store holiday decorations -- If you store decorations the right way, ornaments and holiday treasures will be in one piece the next time you unpack them. By Diane Schlindwein/ State Journal-Register (Ill.)

RECIPES: 'Tis the season for peppermint recipes -- The popular seasonal flavor goes beyond candy canes. Get some peppermint recipes for this weekend. By Kathryn Rem/ State Journal-Register (Ill.)
* Callout idea: Send us your favorite peppermint recipes and photos of the finished product.

FIRE SAFETY: Simple steps to prevent Christmas fires -- Thousands of people die each year in America because of misuse of heating equipment. With maintenance and precautions, homes that are lit with festive lights and warmed by a cozy fireplace can prevent fire hazards. By Louis Short/ The Sun-Times (Ark.)
* Localization tip: Replace quotes with fire safety tips from your town's local fire chief.

ASK DOG LADY: Is it OK to sleep with your dog? -- Advice on bring dogs onto your bed, and a relationship where the boyfriend might be the problem, not the dog. By Monica Collins, GHNS columnist (moving early for the holiday; final weekly installment)

LOST IN SUBURBIA: The Itty Bitty Mouse Committee -- When you live in the suburbs, having mice in your house is one of those necessary evils that are impossible to avoid. By Tracy Beckerman, GHNS columnist

FRANK MULLIGAN: New Christmas carol lyrics urgently needed -- The disturbing images, graphic depictions of street life and psychologically hurtful barbs that masquerade as music assail our young people from all directions. I’m writing, of course, about Christmas carols. By Frank Mulligan/ New England

Entertainment

5 THINGS: Ideas for the weekend, from GHNS (moving early for the holiday)

MOVIE REVIEW: The failures of ‘All Good Things’ -- You know “All Good Things” must end, but it can’t end soon enough. It drags on interminably, growing more ridiculous and sordid as it goes. By Al Alexander/ The Patriot Ledger (Boston)
* Poll idea: Did you like this movie?
* Callout idea: Encourage readers to leave their movie comments and reviews in the comments field.

MOVIE REVIEW: ‘Fockers’ wears out its welcome -- The third leg of the Fockers’ dysfunctional family drama finds Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) still trying to prove his worth to his demented father-in-law, Jack (Robert De Niro). By Dana Barbuto/ The Patriot Ledger (Boston)
* Watch for more reviews going up this afternoon on GHNS

EDITORIAL: Earmark system hurts states more than it helps -- Earmarks took a knockdown blow on Friday, but it’s hard to imagine they’re gone for good, regardless of the symbolic vows being taken by some in Washington. If they are revived, it should only happen with stipulations that keep them in the open and make them fair. By The Patriot Ledger (Boston)

EDITORIAL: Watch redistricting closely until process can be changed -- All eyes must be on the Senate and House committees charged with redrawing the state’s most important political boundaries. We can’t let them skate on this one. The Patriot Ledger (Boston)

JERRY MOORE: The Christmas message is universal -- Christianity's teachings that greed and hate must be overcome by mercy and selflessness. Joyeux Noel. Feliz Navidad. Merry Christmas. The message is universal, and any language will do –– take your pick. By Jerry Moore, Suburban Life Publications (Ill.)

MICHELLE TEHEUX: Can you trust a scientist or study results? -- We tend to think if a lot of smart people with doctorates have spent a few million bucks studying something, that their conclusions ought to be pretty reliable. So why aren’t they? By Michelle Teheux/ Pekin (Ill.) Daily Times
*Poll idea: Do you pay attention to study results reported on the news?

Business

DAVE RAMSEY: An allowance is like welfare -- We put our kids on commission at an early age. If they worked, they got paid. By Dave Ramsey, GHNS columnist (moving early for the holiday)
* Poll idea: Do your kids do chores in exchange for allowance?

BIZ BITS: Weekly business rail on tax breaks and holiday safety tips from the Better Business Bureau. By GHNS (moving early for the holiday)

ERIC P. BLOOM: The importance of communication -- A manager's job is to manage people. This requires telling your staff what to work on and giving feedback, and providing upper management status of projects and issues. By Eric P. Bloom, GHNS columnist (moving early for the holiday)